Title: Seconds to Spare
Author: Rachel Reiss
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Publish Date: May 12, 2026

Excerpt:

Eighteen-year-old Evelyn Werth is trapped in what feels like a never-ending nightmare. She's the only person onboard Aloha Airways Flight 1333 who’s stuck in a 28-minute time loop, one that repeats over and over again. During each loop, four things always happen:

1. The Internet goes out and the pilot warns of upcoming turbulence.
2. There are five minutes of moderate shaking.
3. A woman in the very last row collapses.
4. The plane tilts forward and begins to nosedive.

When Orion James –the cute boy who's been asleep the entirety of each cycle– wakes, it triggers an alarming change in the events Evelyn has come to count on. As the two grow closer and learn to trust each other, they discover there’s more to the loop than they initially realized. They must discover the hidden clues, piece together the moving puzzle, and save everyone onboard –before it’s too late.

My Thoughts:

Evelyn is stuck in a time loop on a plane about to take a catastrophic nosedive. My stomach was flipping right along with hers as she tries to figure out what is happening and find a way to break the cycle or fix the “glitch.”

As the loop resets, Evelyn gets to know all the travelers as well as the flight attendants… all except one. A boy who sleeps through it all. She’s determined not to wake him so she keeps her distance until one enigmatic moment changes everything and starts a whole new chain of events.

I thoroughly enjoyed Reiss’s debut novel Out of Air, so I was thrilled at the opportunity to dive into Seconds to Spare and I enjoyed this one even more. The urgency paired with unraveling the mystery is absolutely chef’s kiss. Past the half way mark, things really start to heat up!

You would think reliving the same 28 minutes hundreds of times would start to feel monotonous, but instead, it becomes more intense with each loop, building toward an explosive climax. Whatever Reiss writes next… I’m already buckled in! ✈️

Many thanks to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the opportunity to read and review this EARC

Star Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐